+ − Contact Information
Phone: (512) 463-0502
Fax: (512) 936-4260
Office Address:
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
+ − Biography
Craig Eiland was born in 1962. He graduated from Stanton High School in 1981. Craig went on to attend Baylor University where he lettered in football and graduated in 1984 with a B.B.A. in Business Administration. Craig then continued his education at Baylor School of Law where he earned his J.D. in 1987.
In February of 1988, Craig settled in Galveston. He opened his own law practice in 1992 with offices in Galveston and Houston.
In 1994, Craig Eiland was elected to serve in the 74th Legislature. He has been representing the citizens of Galveston County for 14 years. Eiland has also been representing the citizens of Chambers County since 2003.
For this 81st Legislative Session, Representative Eiland has been appointed to the position of Speaker Pro Tempore. He is a member of the committee on Appropriations, where he is Chair of the Hurricane Subcommittee and a member of the Stimulus Subcommittee as well as the Health and Human Services Subcommittee. Representative Eiland is also a member of the Committee on Insurance.
Representative Eiland has served on the Insurance Committee since his second session. He is viewed by his colleagues as an expert on insurance matters. During his tenure on Appropriations before 2005, Eiland had a hand in crafting eight straight years of balanced budgets while appropriating a total of $416,470,722,944.00.
Since the landfall of Hurricane Ike in September 2008, Representative Eiland has been working to aide both Galveston and Chambers County in the recovery efforts. Eiland joined a delegation from Galveston which testified before the National Senate Committee hearing on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and the Subcommittee on Disaster Relief for Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Representative Eiland also met with several Congressional members to communicate the recovery needs of his district. He sits on the Texas House Select Committee on Hurricane Ike Devastation. He maintains communication with the Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, the General Land Office, the Texas Department of Transportation, the Governor's Commission for Disaster Recovery and others to help facilitate in debris removal and to ensure that FEMA reimburses the cost of such endeavors. He serves as a liaison between the federal, state, and local government as well as the private sector.
Representative Eiland's legislative package for this 81st session is heavily weighted with Hurricane Ike initiatives. He is also championing the restoration of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, which is in need of funding due to storm devastation.
Craig Eiland is a member of the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) where he served as President, Chairman of the Property and Casualty Committee and Chairman of the State/Federal Relations Committee. Eiland is currently the Chair of the Committee on International Issues.
Craig Eiland was awarded the Legislative Superstar Award by Texas Watch for his work during the 80th legislative session. He has been recognized three times by Texas Monthly Magazine, where in 2003 he was listed as one of the "Ten Best Legislators." On two occasions, Eiland has been awarded the Texas Medical Association's coveted Friend of Medicine Award as well as the American Cancer Society's Texas Advocacy Award. Representative Eiland has been recognized as Legislator of the Year by the Texas Hospital Association, the Texas Child Welfare Board, the Texas Chapter of the National Association of the Mentally Ill, The United Way of Texas and Lutheran Homes. Eiland has been named Hospitality Hero by The Hotel-Motel Association and has been given the President's Award by The Texas Public Health Association. Representative Eiland's legislative efforts have also been recognized by The Texas Association of Builders, The Boys and Girls Club, The Surfsiders' Foundation, Texas A&M University, Texas Southern University, Baylor University and The University of Houston.
Eiland has been named Citizen of the Year by the Galveston Daily News and honored with the American Hero Award by ProtectingAmerica.org. He has also been recognized by the Texas Retired Teacher's Association for his tireless Legislative efforts on their behalf. Most recently, Eiland was named one of the "Ten Best Legislators" by Texas Monthly for the second time this decade.
Craig Eiland and his wife Melissa have four children: Blake (10), Tucker (9), and twins Gray and Delaney (6). They live with their Boxer, Stella, on Galveston Island, where they are members of Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church.